FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — After the Atlanta Falcons drafted two pass rushers in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, questions began to swirl about how impactful Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. could realistically be in their rookie year.
In order to address those questions, Falcons digital team reporter Terrin Waack pulled the last five years of first-round draft picks who fell under the position umbrellas of either a linebacker or defensive lineman to see their sack counts since joining the league.
Every team operates its defense and constructs its roster differently. That's why, for simplicity sake, everyone up front and not in the secondary was taken into account for this study.
Below are the tables compiled.
READ: Why Falcons confident in immediate success from Jalon Walker, James Pearce Jr.